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However welcoming it looks, a lawn provides virtually no habitat for pollinators and other animals and plants that make up a healthy, diverse ecosystem. In fact, that lawn that you love can do substantial harm to the environment, vertebrates, and insects.
Think of a lawn as a blank canvas. In this new era of climate consciousness, no longer is a lush lawn mandatory. You can convert that cultural status symbol into the best yard on the block — even without green grass. In fact, because a drought resistant yard is suddenly quite relevant to today’s changing climate, your eco-friendly landscape will thrive in low water, fertilizer, and maintenance environs.
It might even make you the model for your envious neighbors.
A traditional lush lawn comes with serious costs to you and the environment, contributing to rising carbon dioxide emissions.
University of California Berkeley innovation designer Ian McRae, who studies climate resilience in the built environment, told Wired that lawns are an inefficient way to cool a green space, compared to building out a diverse grouping of native plants that are more aesthetically pleasing, water efficient, and conducive to biodiversity.
But how do we begin the shift away from the cultural icon of a lush lawn?
A successful lawn conversion depends on climate, terrain, and, of course, individual taste. But you can do it!
You can divide the space; replant boundaries; add a pond; layer gravel paths. Use borders with annual topping of compost to lock moisture in and add nutrients to the soil, especially around the shrubs and small trees. Shrubs and small trees give the garden height and structure. Ornamental grasses add softness and a sense of structure, holding together flowering plants and giving them definition.
These no-mow yards typically fall into 4 categories:
Bob Vila of This Old House fame suggests several different approaches for creating intriguing yard spaces that forego a lush lawn.
Not sure how to start? Check out an inspirational public garden nearby — its design, naturalistic plantings, use of land contours, and plant varieties should offer you lots of ideas.
Up until recently, a lush lawn stood as a required symbol of community and cooperation. But many people are starting to accept the fact that lawns are another problem in our push to a zero emissions world.
Still, the rejection of a long run of green grass is an ideological shift. Our future climate will be an unpredictable one. Looking to nature and observing what thrives could also help us to survive. We can make the move in our own yards to the promise of a greener tomorrow.
Carolyn Fortuna (they, them), Ph.D., is a writer, researcher, and educator with a lifelong dedication to ecojustice. Carolyn has won awards from the Anti-Defamation League, The International Literacy Association, and The Leavy Foundation. Carolyn is a small-time investor in Tesla. Please follow Carolyn on Twitter and Facebook.
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